Studio Recording Engineer
Brief description:
As a sound engineer, high quality music, speech and sound effects would need to be recorded for use within film, TV or music releases. It requires customer interaction and patience when recording.
Skills needed:
- Degree is desired, or equivalent experience
- Good sense of pitch and rhythm
- A good sense of hearing, for determining sound quality
- Patience - both for working with potentially fussy bands, and also due to the risk of having to start from the very bottom in order to work up to a senior engineer
- Long hours and tight deadlines
- Communication
- Knowledge of acoustics and electronics
(National Careers Service, 2012)
Musical Acoustician
Brief description:
Includes how humans hear and perceive musical sounds. Some acousticians in this area study how instruments make sound, while others look into how digital hardware and computers are used to make sound. Incorporates both art and science.
Includes how humans hear and perceive musical sounds. Some acousticians in this area study how instruments make sound, while others look into how digital hardware and computers are used to make sound. Incorporates both art and science.
Skills needed:
- Expected to have a degree in acoustics or relevant music subject (such as music technology)
- A knowledge of how sound travels and is perceived
- Qualifications or good knowledge of maths
- Presentation skills to show studies
- Patience for trial and error etc.
- Registered with the Institute of Acoustics (Institute of Acoustics, 2009)
Could also go into other sub-areas of acoustics, such as noise control (the study of noise pollution) or speech and hearing.
(Acoustical Society, 2013)
Music Technology A-Level/College Teacher
Brief description:
This one is fairly self explanatory. But other than the obvious, this role could involve being in charge or organising any school/college concerts, as well as getting students involved in both performing and being technicians. This could then use the skills of multiple disciplines - music technology, music performance, event management and electronics, amongst others.
Skills needed:
This one is fairly self explanatory. But other than the obvious, this role could involve being in charge or organising any school/college concerts, as well as getting students involved in both performing and being technicians. This could then use the skills of multiple disciplines - music technology, music performance, event management and electronics, amongst others.
Skills needed:
- Flexibility in hours, when organising tutorials with students or taking part in events
- Patience - not all students learn at the same rate
- Exceptional presentation skills to suit all learning styles
- Good knowledge in the chosen field in order to teach it and help improve work
- Degree in subject, or extensive experience
- Qualification in teaching - Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (Skill, 2007)
Sound Designer
Brief description:
Covers designing sound for television, radio or broadcast, film and video games. Simply put, it involved creating, recording, editing and finalising music and sound effects for the above media. The process will be different for them all, but the skills needed are the same. For television and film, it will involve recording foley sounds (real-life sounds e.g. footsteps) and music. For radio, it may just involve cueing in sounds at certain times during a broadcast. Video games includes recording and editing foley sounds as well, however using specialised software, the task to programme them into the game may take place.
Skills needed:
- Eyes and ears for detail to make the highest quality product
- Time management and organisation
- Communication
- Team work or team leadership
- Experience in specialised software such as Wwise and/or Fmod
- Degree or experience in relevant field
- An extensive and good quality portfolio of work to display
University, College or School Technician
Brief description:
This could again incorporate a few things. The main responsibility would be to maintain all musical equipment in the facility. This could extend to other equipment as well. Most maintenance will be done out of school/college hours as to not disrupt learning. During the day, assisting classes can be done, teaching music technology and helping with coursework. Teaching students about the equipment can also be done.
Skills needed:
- Good knowledge of a range of equipment
- Knowledge and experience with all, if not most, softwares - Pro Tools, Logic, Reason, Cubase, Ableton, Reason, Fruity Loops, as well as potentially some less known/less used ones, such as Reaper
- Presentation skills in case a teacher is ill, or if the technician has been asked to teach something specific
- Teaching skills - no specific qualifications, but may need to do courses in order to teach the class (as specified above)
- Preferably a degree or relevant experience within the field
Live Sound Engineer
Brief description:
Employed by a live sound group, or being self employed. The job will be to set up the music equipment for an event, then engineering the sound during the performance. This is not limited to music, it could also include theatre performances. During the concert, managing sound levels of certain microphones to keep the balance, adding effects at certain times and generally adding that 'spark' to a performance. Effects could include reverb on vocals during songs, but removing it in between songs, when the performers may just speak into the microphone. Adding delays and reverbs to certain instruments during solos is also a technique.
Skills needed:
- In-depth knowledge of the equipment being used to quickly and safely set up for the event, as well as being able to troubleshoot any problems that happen through setup, or during the performance, to quickly resolve them.
- Degree or experience in relevant subject
- Patience
- Organised - labelling channels on the mixer, for example
Mastering Engineer
Brief description:
This would be a further career to a recording engineer. The mastering engineer puts the final touches on a track, bringing out the best. Creating the CD is also a job for the mastering engineer, ordering the tracks and giving them the same relative volume. They also add all the information to the CD, such as ISRC codes. The engineer then burns the final CD in Red Book Standard, and sends it off to be reproduced.
Skills needed:
- Excellent hearing quality, to be able to pick out the smallest of details in a track that can improve it
- Access to and experience with top of the range hardware and software. Usually, mastering engineers use Pro Tools and always use Waves plugins
- Excellent knowledge of equipment and their effects on sound, so that certain equipment can be easily picked out for certain qualities within the tracks
- Most of this knowledge will come from experience as a recording engineer
- There are few young mastering engineers, as a lot of experience is needed to be professional and renowned enough as a mastering engineer
References
National Careers Service (2012) Studio Sound Engineer Job Information. [online] Available from <https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/studiosoundengineer.aspx> [1st December 2013]
Institute of Acoustics (2009) Become a Member. [online] Available from <http://www.ioa.org.uk/membership/> [1st December 2012]
Acoustical Society (2013) Acoustics and You: A Career in Acoustics? [online] Available from <http://acousticalsociety.org/education_outreach/careers_in_acoustics> [1st December 2013]
Skill - National Bureau for Students With Disabilities (2007) Basic Requirements To Become A Teacher. [online] Available from <http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=264&p=383> [2nd December 2013]
Institute of Acoustics (2009) Become a Member. [online] Available from <http://www.ioa.org.uk/membership/> [1st December 2012]
Acoustical Society (2013) Acoustics and You: A Career in Acoustics? [online] Available from <http://acousticalsociety.org/education_outreach/careers_in_acoustics> [1st December 2013]
Skill - National Bureau for Students With Disabilities (2007) Basic Requirements To Become A Teacher. [online] Available from <http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=264&p=383> [2nd December 2013]
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